Unprepared Hours
by RealityBreakGirl
Summary: All Sheska wanted was a quiet life to read and to be able to keep her mother in a good hospital. All Sheska had signed up for was to copy down the reports that she had read and provide information. She hadn't signed up for man-eating white monsters and buildings coming down around her head. But on the Promised Day, that was what she had to deal with, whether she was prepared or not


**Summary:** All Sheska wanted was a quiet life to read and to be able to keep her mother in a good hospital. All Sheska had signed up for was to copy down the reports that she had ready and provide information. She hadn't signed up for loosing a good boss. And she especially hadn't signed up for man-eating white monsters and buildings coming down around her head. But on the Promised Day, that was exactly what she had to deal with, whether she was prepared for it or not.

**Author's Notes:** I always wondered where Sheska was during the Promised Day and what she might have been through. After a few late night discord headcanon sessions with a friend, well, this story emerged. I had to mess with a few things in canon, and I didn't bother to look at where Recods might be in the building, but on the whole it should be fairly canon compliant. I hope you enjoy!

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Sheska wandered out, looking around the area, but not really looking. Smoke still wafted in the air. She could see buildings that were still smoking. Were they on fire? Or was it from something else? She could see buildings that were destroyed, or half destroyed. One side of Central Command was gone, for stars sake!

She tried not to look that way. There was no telling how many people were killed in that, or who she had known that were now gone.

Just the same as that, she tried not to look at the bodies that were all around too. Briggs soldiers and Central soldiers alike, their bodies were laying around, blood soaked ground near them. She tried not to look at them. She didn't know if she could bare it if she saw a face, and it was someone that she knew. She had known people that had died before—although there was a little doubt on a least one of those right now—but it was different when it came to seeing them dead like this. It was different seeing them killed.

The thought struck her that she might be doing them a disservice, if there were any people that she knew here. Wouldn't they want her to see them, to acknowledge them? Wouldn't they want her to grieve over them? Was she doing them wrong by walking passed and not even stopping to see if they were people that she knew?

She didn't know if she could do that. Her legs were shuddering now, and, while they didn't feel weak, exactly, they did feel like they just weren't going to hold her up anymore. She had been trying to go down the stairs, but now it felt like she couldn't, and she just sat down on the white marbled stairs, looking at her own dirty shoes, and dusty uniform, and then looking out over the city, still in a state of emergency.

How had the day turned out like this, when it had started off so well…?

**#####**

_Ring, ring! Ring, ring!_

Sheska stopped, and looked back at her phone, which was ringing. Her phone didn't usually ring this early in the morning. Oh! Maybe it was Rachel, calling to ask her to pick something up for the girls who all worked in records? They did that sometimes, call someone to get something.

_Ring, ring! Ring, ring!_

Well, she'd never know if she didn't answer it, would she? She shoved the book she was holding in her bag, and then turned to grab the phone before it could ring again. She spared a glance at the clock. She had a few minutes before she absolutely had to leave. "Hello?"

"Sheska?" a very familiar voice came from the other side and Sheska immediately brightened.

"Mom!" she said. "Why are you calling this early? Is everything alright?" It was unusual for her mother to call her this early in the morning, after all, and Sheska couldn't help but worry.

"No, no, dear, nothing like that," her mother's cheery voice said back to her. "I just wanted to remind you not to forget your eclipse glasses. I know how absent-minded you can be."

Sheska smiled. It was just like her mother to worry about something like that. "Don't worry, Mom, I've already got them packed! I tucked them into a little pocket I never use on my purse so that they wouldn't fall out or anything like that."

"Good," her mother said. "You make sure that you use them when it's time for the eclipse. Don't try to look at it directly even for a moment just because you're curious to see if it's really as bad as they say."

Sheska couldn't help but smile some more. "I won't do it if you won't." she said back.

"Deal." Her mother replied.

"Are you going to get to see it?" Sheska asked. She knew there had been talk around the hospital her mother was in about moving the patients to a viewing area, but she didn't know if anything solid had been determined.

"Yes, we are," her mother replied. Sheska could hear a note of excitement in her mother's voice. She always had liked seeing and experiencing new things. Sheska was glad that she was going to get to see this. "The nurses arranged a room for us where we can see it. They're going to take us in there later today."

"Oh, that's great!" Sheska replied, glad for her mom. "Just don't overdo, okay?"

"Oh hush, dear. You don't need to worry about me."

"Of course I do, Mom. A daughter is supposed to worry over her mother."

"I think you have that backwards. It's a mother that's supposed to worry over her daughter."

"Well, maybe we can just worry over each other then."

Her mother laughed. Sheska loved her mother's laugh, so bright and cheery, no matter what was going on. "Alright," her mother said. "We'll be a pair of worriers together then."

"Deal!" Sheska replied. She glanced at the clock. She needed to leave. She didn't want to hang up on her mother, though. She always loved talking with her mother. Sheska paused for a moment. "Hey mom?"

"Yes?"

Sheska hesitated, so much she wanted to say, but she didn't have time, and she didn't know how to tell her mother the depth of her love. "I'm sorry we can't watch it together," she finally settled on saying. She genuinely regretted not being able to, wishing that she could be there with her mother during this event. She would love to see her mother's excitement at it.

"Oh you hush," her mother said. "You have work, and a life. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I still wish I could," Sheska said, "But you're right." She sighed, and glanced at the clock one more time. If she didn't leave now she was going to be late. "Alright, Mom," Sheska said, "I do have to go. But I'll call you after work, though, and we can talk about it, okay?"

"That sounds fun," her mother said, "but you go now, Sheska. You don't need to be late for work. Shoo! Go work hard and make that kind boss of yours proud!"

Sheska couldn't help but grin again. Her mother was always on top of things and never forgot anything Sheska told her about work. "Yes, ma'am. I'll get going. Oh—and mom?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

She could practically hear the smile in her mother's voice. "I love you too, My Sheska. Now hurry up! Shoo!"

Sheska laughed again. "Yes ma'am!"

Sheska returned the phone to its cradle, and quickly gathered up her bags. Her purse, her lunch, and a bag that carried things like her books and such in it were all in her hands quickly, Sheska throwing them over her shoulder as she grabbed a muffin for breakfast and scurried out her front door. If she hurried, she'd make it to work on time!

By the time Sheska made it to work, she was barely on time and she had finished her muffin. She could have done with a little coffe, but she'd just have to settle for some of the stuff they kept around the office. Rachel kept a small supply of good ground coffee for them to use from time to time. Maybe she could beg some of it off of her.

"Morning, Sheska," Rachel greeted her as she came into the office.

"Oh! Good morning Rachel," she returned.

"Just barely made it in, huh?" Rachel said.

Sheska nodded, "My mother called just before I left," she said. She smiled a bit. "She wanted to remind me to take my eclipse glasses with me today."

"Ugh, like we'll see anything down here." Susan walked in, a load of files in her arms. "We're so low down we don't even have good windows."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and Major Armstrong will let us go up to see it," Sheska suggested.

"You know, come to think of it, where is the Major?"

"I don't know," A new voice cut in, and they all looked up, taking a second to acknowledge the officer who had just walked in. She waved them off. "I don't know where Major Armstrong is," she repeated, "but that's not really your concern right now." She sat down another stack of folders. "There's work to be done today, so that's what we're going to work on." A chorus of "yes ma'am" broke out and she started to turn to leave, but hesitated. "Don't… don't stray too far today, girls. I don't know what's going on, but things seem tense out there. Just pay attention."

The girls murmured their agreement, although they exchanged confused looks.

"What do you think that was all about?" Rachel asked after she had left.

Susan shrugged. "I don't know. But I guess we should be careful."

"Maybe it has to do with where Major Armstrong is," Sheska suggested. "I mean, he is a state alchemist, so if there was something going on, they'd want him, right?"

The others murmured their agreement and they all got to work. But even in their area, it was obvious that something was going on. Tense voices, rushed steps, clipped language; it was enough to set them all on edge. Sheska bit her lip as she worked, wondering what all this could mean. She had a sudden desire to want Maes Hughes back as her boss. He always seemed to know what was going on. But that wasn't possible. Besides, if the Major knew what was going on, he would tell them too—right? Yeah, she was sure of it. With a quiet sigh, Sheska got back to work. It must have been a half an hour later or longer when she realized that she had a file that didn't belong down here. She flipped through it, trying to find its identification. It looked pretty urgent, and she bit her lip, trying to make a decision.

"Hey," she called out to the others, "I've got a file that belongs to the armory. It—It looks kind of urgent. I'm just gonna take it to them, okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine, Sheska." Rachel said. "You've only got a few left, right? We'll take care of them."

"Okay," Sheska responded. "I promise I won't take long!"

"Hey, stop by the Mess Hall and see what they're serving will you?" Susan asked. "Their calendar is as reliable as my granny's taste buds, so I wanna know if I need to go out today or not."

Sheska nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

"Oh! Maybe we can go to that new little place if we do go out—" Rachel's voice faded as Sheska stepped out and closed the door behind her. It wouldn't take long to deliver this to where it needed to go, and it would be nice to get out of the office for a moment.

The tension in the building was still really high, though, and something just felt off. Sheska shifted the file a little closer to her, holding it across her chest. It was silly, but it just made her feel a bit better. Hopefully, whatever this tension was, it would go away soon. After all, today was Eclipse day! She really wanted to go see that, no matter what! That way she could talk to her mother about it. It wouldn't be the same as seeing it with her mother, but it would be something that they could talk about together, at least. The thought put a cheer in her step, and Sheska smiled to herself as she walked. Only a few more hours!

The cheer didn't last long, though, as the closer she got to the armory department, the more on edge people became. She could hear the voices all around her as they talked, and what she heard couldn't be right. It just couldn't be!

"…Mustang and his men captured the Fuhrer's wife…"

"…have shot and injured Central soldiers…"

"…General Armstrong killed him…"

"…that's right, she killed General Gardner…"

"…is holding another general hostage…"

"… it's a coop by Mustang and Briggs, it's gotta be…"

Sheska stopped as she heard the rumors. This couldn't be. Could it? This couldn't be right? Mustang's team has kidnapped Mrs. Bradley? General Armstrong had killed other generals? The government was being overthrown? No, no, this couldn't be right at all! Suddenly, Sheska stumbled as something shook the building, and caught herself on a windowsill. What was that? All around her people in the hall were looking up, trying to figure out what had happened. Voices were rising and people were jumping into a professional panic.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know!"

"We should do something!"

"Your stations—everyone should return to your stations!"

A voice broke over the crowd, and people looked up. It was a Captain, and he was giving orders.

"For now, everyone return your departments and await further instructions! Unless you're doing something life or death, or the situation becomes too dangerous, do not leave unless so ordered! Arm yourselves and be prepared. We may have to defend ourselves."

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir!" and then people scattered.

Sheska bit her lip. She needed to get back to the office. She needed to warn Rachel and Susan! Sheska tried to make her way through the halls, but people were rushing past her, bumping into her as she tried to make her way back to records. She got pushed into a wall more than once, and roughly pushed by as well. This was ridiculous! The main halls were just too crowded, and she needed to leave now, especially as it seemed something else shook the building. Her eyes alighted on the doorway to the stairs. Records was on one of the lower levels! She could head down the stairs and go through some of the lower maintenance levels. No one was likely to be down there, so she should be able to move quicker and without being jostled quite so much.

It took a little more rough bumping before she managed to get over there and push open the door. There were still people here but not as many, especially as she descended into the lower levels. By the time she got to the maintenance levels, no one seemed to be around, which was a relief. She hurried on, knowing that the sooner she got back to the office the better.

For a few moments, there was no noise, no real sound except for the occasional rattling of pipes and the sound of her shoes on the bare concreate. But something started to smell foul, and she heard unusual sounds. They sounded… wet. And like something was ripping. Sheska bit her lip and slowed down. Something inside Sheska told her she should run, that whatever was around that corner couldn't be anything good. But she had to get back to her office, and to warn Susan and Rachel. Slowly, cautiously, she peeked around the corner

-and had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

Strange white men, creatures really, with one big eyeball and large mouths were all crouched on the ground eating something. Sheska's eyes widened and she nearly hyperventilated when she saw the blue of a uniform sleeve and realized just what they were eating.

Trying her best not to scream, Sheska backed away quickly—too quickly. She ran into something, knocking it down and hearing it clatter. She didn't take the time to look to see what it was. There was no time to do that. Her eyes widened more, and a scream built in her throat as the things suddenly stopped their grisly meal and looked up at her. Their eyes focused on her and Sheska turned and fled, screaming as she went. She could hear them right behind her, smell the stench of them and their bloody meal. A sob worked its way up out of her as tears filled her eyes. She wasn't going to be able to get out of this. She wasn't going to be able to talk to her mom again, or see her! She wasn't going to be able to care for her mother! She was going to die—to be _eaten_ by these things! Eaten alive!

They were right behind her, and she turned a corner quickly, only to bowl right into something else white taking him down with her. In a panic she rolled off of him, and scrambled back, only to realize she was surrounded by white. She screamed again, until she heard her name.

"Sheska?"

"Huh?" She realized that she was hearing gun fire, and that a familiar face with gray hair was looking down at her. Officer Falman, she remembered, one of Mustang's men, transferred to Briggs. Was he here as part of the take over?

"Sheska! Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

Right. He was asking her questions. "Um—I—yeah, I, I think I'm okay, I just—"she glanced over to where the Briggs soldiers were still fighting the monsters. "They need to watch out! Those things they—they were eating a person!"

"What?" Falman looked at her in surprise.

"Hey—these things don't want to die! I know I shot it!"

"Shoot it in the leg so it can't get up!"

Falman stood from his bending position. "Be careful! They're man eaters!"

There was an acknowledgement as a man that looked more like a bear then a man entered the fray, a strange looking automail arm on him as he attacked the monsters.

"Sheska. Where were you trying to go?" Falman was focused on her again, and she turned her attention back to him and away from the fight.

"B-back to records. I was trying to, um, to deliver some papers that had, um, had gotten mixed up and w-we were all told to go b-back to our departments. I-I-I thought this way would be q-quicker…"

Falman nodded and straightened, offering her his hand again, and pulling her up. The fight seemed to be over for the moment, those strange white men laying dead. Sheska's attention went from that back to Falman as he spoke.

"Sir," he addressed the bear-like man. "May I pull a man to escort Miss Sheska back to records? There might be more of those elsewhere."

The man looked down at her, and Sheska tried not to shake as much as she felt like she was. Finally he let out a snort, and called two of the men over. Falman gave them a rundown of where to go. Sheska wasn't paying much attention. She was just staring at the bodies of the monsters who had been chasing her, to eat her, and she felt a bit sick to her stomach.

"Miss Sheska?" One of the Briggs soldiers said. "If you'll just stay between us."

She nodded, and followed between them, turning her head to look away when they passed the mess of the partially eaten soldier. She just couldn't have that engraved on her mind. The soldiers didn't call her on it, though, and for that she was grateful. It only took a few more minutes to get her back to records. When they opened the door, no one seemed to be there at first. Then—

"Oh my Stars, Sheska?!" Rachel came out from behind the desk and Susan emerged from the stacks to hug her.

"Where have you been! And why are you with Briggs soldiers?" Susan demanded. "We heard that they were taking over!"

"Th-they saved me… from—fr-from—"

"Excuse us," the Briggs soldiers interrupted. "But it's probably safer for you ladies to stay in here. Is there an inner room you can get into?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes. More than one."

"Then I suggest you hole up there for your own safety."

"…Thank you," Rachel said.

The Briggs soldiers nodded and left, closing the door firmly behind them. Susan still had a hold of Sheska, not having completely released her from the hug. Honestly, Sheska needed it.

"Sheska, what's going on, you're shaking," she said, concern clear in her voice. Rachael wheeled around to look at Sheska too, concern clear in her eyes.

"You are!" she said. "Su, you sit her down. I'm going to go get some water for coffee—"

"No, don't!" Sheska blurted it out frantically, desperately. "Don't go out there! You can't!"

Rachel's brows drew together, as she looked at Sheska with confusion. "What? Why not? It's just down the hall, and I doubt I have to worry about more soldiers from Br—"

"It's not the soldiers!" Sheska said, and she was taking a step forward by this time. Susan's hands were still on her shoulders. "It's not the soldiers, it's the monsters!"

"Monsters?" Susan said, confused. "Sheska, what are you talking about?"

"There's monsters out there," Sheska said, her voice dropping. "I—I was on my way back to tell you what I heard was going on. But I ran across some of them in the basement. Like… skinny white men, with one large eyeball and huge mouths. And—Oh my g… I, I can't…They… they were _eating_ someone! I saw the uniform!" She was starting tear up as she retold her story. "Then they saw me, and they chased me, and I thought I was going to die! They were going to eat me too! I would have died, been eaten, if I hadn't run into the Briggs soldiers! They saved me!"

Her face was in her hands by this time, as the horror of what she had seen started to catch up with her. There was a moment of silence from the other women in the room, and then Sheska felt a hand slide across her shoulders and give her a squeeze.

"Okay," Susan said. "We won't go out. There's a room further back, with a radio. Maybe we can make it work and maybe we can get some information."

Rachel was handing her a tissue, and smiling at her. "Hey, it's alright. We'll just go back there and see what we can pick up."

Sheska nodded, taking the tissue and following Susan to the back room even as Rachel locked the door to records. She was still crying, trying to get a hold of herself. It wasn't easy, though. Susan sat her down and started working with the radio, an old thing that had been wired into the building's system so that some reception could be gotten down there. Rachel came a moment later with some water for Sheska from the small supply they kept here. They didn't close the door to the small room, but Sheska did feel a bit safer back there, even if she was still jumpy.

"Well, I've not gotten anything internally yet, but I did manage to pick up Radio Capital," Susan said after a few minutes.

Rachel snorted. "That figures. There's never anything good on there."

Susan's face, though told another story, and she quickly removed the headphones she had been using and flipped a few switches. "You've got to hear this."

"—I don't even know if my husband is alive!"

"Is—is that Mrs. Bradley?" Rachel asked.

Sheska was staring at the radio. "It is! I've heard her before. That's Mrs. Bradley!"

"If anyone is just tuning in, we have Mrs. Bradley in studio with us. She was rescued early this morning by Colonel Mustang, who pre-emptively anticipated the coop initiated by several of the top generals. At the moment, we have little specific information, but we do know that Briggs troops are involved somehow, and that the Fuhrer's train was attacked. There has been no word on Fuhrer Bradley or his son Selim."

"Oh my—is this for real?" Rachel said staring at the radio.

"It—It matches what I heard," Sheska said.

Susan and Rachel's heads turned sharply towards her and she started. "Well—when I was trying to deliver those records, um, I was hearing people talk. Th-they said that Colonel Mustang had kidnapped the Fuhrer's wife and that he was fighting against Central soldiers. They also said that General Armstrong had killed a couple of generals. But that's all I know."

"Oh, whoa…" Susan breathed out. "This—this is legit. This is really happening."

"We need to figure out what to do," Rachel said. "We need to—"

"Hush!" Sheska said suddenly, leaning in to hear the radio.

"—Justice, we are prepared to give our lives to stop these evil men from corrupting our great nation."

Sheska's eyes widened and she sucked in a breath.

"Sheska?" Susan asked.

"It's Maria Ross," she said.

Rachel and Susan both stared at her. "What? Maria Ross was killed by Colonel Mustang; it was in the papers."

"I know!" Sheska said. "But I know her voice! That's Maria Ross!"

Susan shook her head. "How can that be? There's no way—"

She was cut off by a sudden banging on the door to the records offices, and all three women jumped, tense. Rachel's hand went towards her hip, where she had armed herself, just in case.

"Hey! Let us in! Please! We've got injured and we need to hide! Let us in!"

For half a second longer, the women exchanged a look again, until they heard the pounding on the door repeat. Rachel hurried out towards the door, Susan following after. Sheska, flustered for a moment and then followed as well. What if those monsters were on the others side? What if they got in? Fear flooded her, but she couldn't let her friends be hurt. She rushed up to the door too, trying to stop Rachel from opening it, or at least to warn her to be careful. But she got there just as Rachel opened it, and she nearly stumbled out of it.

The one who was banging on the door stood back from it, his gun firing at something down the hall way. Two soldiers stumbled in, one supporting the other. The one who was shooting was yelling at someone else to "Get in! Get it!" Sheska looked around the door, trying to see who else was coming. There was a soldier further down, he was firing at something as well. As Sheska watched, though, some of those white monsters jumped out at him, not being slowed by the bullets in the slightest. He screamed as they started biting into him, eating him alive, and Sheska felt the horror rise in her again. The other soldier nearest to Sheska cursed, and then shot again, killing the other soldier and diving inside the room. Sheska was frozen by the sight, and Rachel reached to draw her back in the room.

"Sheska get—_oh my God_." Sheska could hear the horror in Rachel's voice. "Sheska get inside now!" She yanked on Sheska, pulling her into the room and closing the door behind them, locking it again.

Sheska looked at the room, trying not to panic. Susan was kneeling on the ground with one of the soldiers, the one that had been supported inside was on the ground—bleeding freely from a leg that was no longer there.

"—Sheska! Sheska!"

Sheska's head snapped over to Rachel.

"Help me move this bookcase! We need to block the door!"

"R-right!" She moved on shaking legs to help Rachel and the soldier who had been firing to move to block the door. They all moved one of the heavier bookcases in front of it, hearing the scratching and scraping of the monsters on the other side.

"Susan, can we move him?" Rachel was asking. Sheska felt like she was working a step behind everyone else. "We can get back to that room, hole up there until things are over."

"It'll be better than leaving him here, if whatever that is trying to get in, gets in," Susan said. "Sheska, grab the supplies. Someone help me get him up and to the room."

One of the soldiers worked his way under the arm of the wounded one. Sheska scooped up the supplies and followed, Rachel and the commanding soldier following behind. It was only as they got into the room that Sheska realized that Rachel and the commanding soldier weren't with them. She could hear scraping and moving and their voices, but Susan grabbed her attention again.

"Sheska, help me with him—we need to make sure he doesn't bleed out. Can you make a tourniquet?"

"Um—n-no. I was never taught how. I've read about it, but—"

"Okay, never mind. Just keep track of his pulse."

"Um—okay? I can try."

Susan didn't even look up at her. "Just—let me know if his breathing changes, okay?"

"Okay."

Sheska felt useless as she watched Susan and the soldier work, and as she heard Rachel and the other soldier barricade them in. She was never taught about things like this, or how to do first aid. Oh, she had certainly read about it, but she didn't know how to do it. First aid, fighting, even firing a gun—she had never been taught how to do any of it! All she could do was read books!

Rachel and the commanding soldier came into the room, closing the door behind them. "We moved some things around, trying to make it harder for those things to get to us if they get in." She went and knelt by Sheska, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Sheska—were those what you were talking about earlier?"

Sheska nodded, feeling tears in her eyes again. Rachel hugged her. "I understand why you were so scared, then."

She smiled kindly at Sheska, then nudged her aside to help Susan with the injured soldier. For what felt like hours they stayed in that small room, listening to the reports from the radio, feeling the building shake and rattle. The injured soldier turned delirious in this, mistaking others for people he knew. Sheska spent a lot of time by his side, as he apparently thought she was his sister. She felt useless in general, but this, at least, was something that she could do.

"Callie? Callie don't be scared, alright?" Sheska looked down at him as he spoke to her. "It's all going to be alright, Callie. Don't worry, your big brother is here. I'm going to protect you."

Sheska bit her lip, and held his hand, squeezing it. "I—I know. But you need to rest, okay? There are others here to protect both of us. All you need to do is rest."

"Callie… I've always been so proud of you."

"Does… does something feel… wrong… to anyone else?"

Sheska looked up from her comforting of the soldier to look at Susan. She was sitting in front of the radio and had been scanning frequencies trying to find them the most information. But now she looked pale, uneasy, as if she was sure something bad was coming.

"Actually, yeah." The commanding soldier hefted his gun, his fingers running over it. "Something has felt really off for a while, but it's only gotten worse."

Sheska wanted to ask them what they meant, but suddenly Rachel screamed. "What—what is that?!"

They all looked in the direction she was pointing where something black was rising from the ground. It was like a shadow, with a hand at the end and it waved in the air. Others were rising around them too, more of them, and the other soldier shot at one of them, but the bullet just passed through it.

"What is this?" Sheska asked, panicked. They were rising all around her too, and even though the bullet didn't touch it, it felt like she could feel them. The injured soldier was calling Sheska by his sister's name, trying to comfort her. And then—

It was like something was wrenching at her chest, trying to pull something integral loose. It twisted and pulled, yanked and it felt like it was tearing out of her. Her hands scrambled at her chest and throat, and she wanted to scream but she couldn't. Terror filled her and it was like something snapped.

Suddenly she was drowning, drowning, drowning in a cacophony of terror and sadness, of a heart-wrenching heartbreak coupled with the terrifying knowledge that this was her existence now. It was painful, horribly painful, but almost in a way that was beyond the physical. Terror and grief consumed her, whirling together to make a pain that was absolutely indescribable. She was dimly aware of other screaming, dimly aware that she was screaming too, but she had no control. Only this swirling, terrifying, painful despair compromised her existence. It was more then she could bare, and yet there was no escape, not even into madness. There were no words for it, only sensation and pain.

She wasn't sure how long she was in that swirling mass before something shifted and she felt like she was being yanked back like a rubber band and the pain was in her now. Suddenly she had a body again, and she was gasping for breath, coughing, trying to breathe. Her eyes were wet with tears and she looked around, seeing the others in similar conditions.

"What was that?" Susan managed to gasp out.

The commanding soldier shook his head. "I have no idea. I'm not sure I want to know."

"Do… do ya think it was something that Briggs or Mustang cooked up?" the other soldier asked.

Sheska shook her head. "I think that was beyond anything they could have done. That was like… I don't even know…"

Suddenly there was a rumble through the building, something that felt like it came from below them. The very foundations of the building felt like they were shaking, and they all ducked, Sheska instinctively shielding the wounded soldier. "Are you alright—" she started to ask him, then stopped.

"What?" The commanding soldier asked her. "What is it?"

"I… I think he's dead," Sheska said.

Susan pushed her aside to look at him, and then nodded after a moment. "He was alive before we went through… whatever that was. Maybe the strain was too much on his body."

The other soldier looked stricken. The commanding soldier looked away and cursed under his breath. Before anything else could be said, though, the building shook from below again, and they all did their best to duck.

"What's going on?" Rachel asked.

"Is the building coming down?" Susan said.

"It feels like explosions," the lead soldier said. "But I don't know what from. This can't be good."

The shaking happened again, holding steady for a few moments. Books fell, the radio rattled, things could be heard crashing outside. It was almost like an earthquake, but there was the feeling of something else behind it. Another, sharp explosion could be felt and then, for a few moments, silence.

"Do... do you think its over?" Rachel said, hesitantly.

"I don't know," the commanding soldier said. "The room still seems sound, so I don't think that we should move until we hear fr—"

It was as if the world had exploded. The whole room shook. Things could be heard falling and crashing. Sheska screamed, curling up to protect herself. She felt someone on top of her, protecting her too. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling on them. The radio died and the lights went out. She had no idea what had happened, but all she could hope was that the building wasn't about to come down on them. When the sudden shaking stopped, they all were still in the moments that followed, aside from coughing.

"Is everyone alright?" the commanding soldier asked as he lifted off of Sheska.

"Y-yes sir."

"Yeah."

"I think so."

"Y-yes."

"Alright, good." Sheska could hear him moving around, as if he were making his way towards the door. "We might need to find our way out of here. It might not be safe right now."

No, nothing seemed safe at the moment. White man-eating monsters out there, buildings falling on them in here, Sheska wasn't sure that there was a safe place in all of Central Command. The commanding soldier called to the other soldier to help him with the door.

"Sheska? Susan? Are you two okay?" Rachel called out. Sheska could hear her shuffling their way.

"Yeah, just a little shook up," Susan replied.

"Sheska?"

"Um—yeah? I guess so, I mean?"

She felt a hand on her and she jumped, but it was only Rachel. "Okay. Let's just try to stick together for now, alright?"

"We've got the door, ladies!" the commanding soldier called out. "There's some light out here. Wait until we've given you the all clear."

"You've got it, sir!" Rachel called out.

With the little bit of light they were getting, Sheska could see a little bit. Both Rachel and Susan were covered in powder and dust, and the room was in shambles. The dead soldier was lying nearby, his face contorted in pain, and she looked away.

"Do you hear that?" Susan asked. They all stopped a listened. It sounded like explosions were still going on somewhere outside.

"Are they still fighting?" Rachel asked. "How long is this going to go on?"

Another explosion seemed to rock the area, and the three women ducked and huddled together, trying to protect themselves. It wasn't the last explosion that they heard, although there were different kinds. There was no way to tell what was going on out there, and no way to tell if, when things fell silent, it was just a break or if things were over. None of the women were willing to risk going out until they knew, and so they stayed huddled together in the dark, with a dead man for company.

After what felt like hours, the two soldiers came back for them, looking a bit pale themselves. "You can come out now, ladies," the commanding soldier said. "It's all over."

"What happened?" Rachel asked.

The commanding soldier shook his head even as the other soldier moved to the now dead soldier's side, to get a better look at him. None of them looked back, giving her a moment of privacy with him.

"I'm… honestly not sure," the commanding officer said. "But it's over. There's a truce between the Central and Briggs soldiers. They're taking the injured to the hospitals, and trying to take stock of the damage. It's…" he shook his head. "The damage is indescribable. It's probably best that you ladies come on out. It probably best that we all get out."

All the women nodded, getting up and leaving the room behind. The soldiers helped Sheska, Rachel, and Susan out, helping them step over fallen shelves and files and books. For once Sheska wasn't as concerned about the books as she was about just getting out of there. The soldiers helped to lead them all out and into the open, giving them instructions on where to go from here. But Sheska didn't hear them. She was too busy looking around in amazement and horror at the scene around them. She started moving, not quite walking, not quite staggering, looking at all the damage and all the bodies around her. She couldn't stop looking at all, moving forward bit by bit until she couldn't take it anymore and her legs gave out, leaving her sitting here on the steps.

**#####**

"Sheska?"

The voice brought her out of her reverie. She could hear cries of celebration, cries of grief, orders being shouted and questions being asked. But that voice seemed to cut through it all—the voice of a friend she hadn't seen in a while.

Her head jerked up to see Kain Fuery standing there, his look of concern changing into a smile for her. She stared at him, and all of the emotions of what happened suddenly hit her all at once. She started shaking, and suddenly she was crying. She heard his footsteps hurry over, saw his concerned expression as he knelt in front of her. His hands went to her shoulders, gentle, kind.

"Hey—you're not hurt, are you?"

There was so much concern in his voice, that Sheska couldn't help herself. She threw her arms around him, holding onto him and crying. There was only a moment's surprise before she felt warm arms coming around her, to hold her as well. There was a subtle shift as he sat beside her, pulling her closer.

"It's okay," he said softly. "It's all over now. It's alright, Sheska."

She nodded, and, after a few minutes, slowly pulled herself back, gathering herself together. "I'm sorry," she said. "It was just—it was a lot."

"It's alright," he replied with a smile.

Sheska sniffed a little. "…Are you alright?" she asked him, realizing that she hadn't taken the time to see if he was alright. He was part of Mustang's team. Between whatever he went through in the south and then today, there was a good chance that he wasn't okay.

Fuery nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. Better than I've been in a long time." He leaned back and closed his eyes. Sheska didn't say anything, just letting the moment envelop them. "…I wonder if we'll get paid overtime for today."

Sheska let out a watery laugh, and leaned against him. "I don't know," she said. "I'm glad you're back, though. And that you're alright." Part of her wanted to start crying again, but instead she laid her hand on his and squeezed it. The human contact was needed, and she decided to take it. He didn't seem to mind, anyway, as he held her hand back.

"It's good to be home again," he said, and Sheska nodded.

But she looked around and "home" was in shambles, in pieces, around them. Part of the Central Command was gone, the generals in charge of things had betrayed them, the Fuhrer was dead, and there were so many injured and killed. It was overwhelming.

"What do we do now?" she asked in a quiet voice.

For a long moment, he said nothing, and the air was thick with what could be said. But then he just looked at her and smiled. "I think I'm going to take a shower," he said. "I've never been covered in so much dust!"

"At least your coat is supposed to be white," she said, giving him her own smile back. "I think the dust has changed my hair color. I need to get a brush after it, at least."

"Guess I'll have a lot of laundry to do," Fuery smiled at her, and stood up, brushing off his pants as he did. "Brigadier General Hughes would probably tell you to take the rest of the day off, because there's going to be a lot of work to do. You might as well rest while you can." He offered her a hand, to help her up.

She took it, and stood, brushing her own skirt off. "…Maybe I will," she said. She thought of the soldier who thought she was his sister. "Maybe I'll go see my mother, check on her after I clean up."

Fuery nodded. "I'm going to clean up and then go by the hospital to check on a few people. There were a lot of injuries."

"Oh! Then don't let me hold you up," Sheska said, not wanting to keep him from injured friends. She had to wonder how the rest of Mustang's men had faired. She hoped that they were all alright.

"You'll be okay?" He asked her, one last time, and Sheska nodded.

"Yes. I'll be alright," she said, and it felt true.

"Alright then. I'll see you later, Sheska!" He gave her a wave and turned to run off.

"Hey!" it was a split-second decision, but he turned at her call anyway. "If you need one, there's a laundromat near my apartment!"

"Thanks!" he said back and then, with another wave, he turned to leave.

Sheska stood there, on the steps of a broken, damaged building with the dead around her, and the sounds of the clean up after a battle ringing in her ears. This had been the most harrowing and terrifying day in her life, but was over. She was going to see her mom, probably cry on her, and then? Then she had no idea what would happen. But she would take it one day at a time. If she survived this, then she could keep going.

**#####**


End file.
